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Q&A for How to Train Your Dog in Nosework

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How do you train a dog to find a smell?

Melissa Muñoz
Animal Trainer
Melissa Munoz is an Animal Trainer and the Owner of Pawsitive Perspective Animal Training. She has more than 16 years of experience in reward-based animal training, exotic animal management, and wildlife education. Melissa holds degrees in Animal Behavior and Ethology, Wildlife Education, and Animal Management from the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College.

Melissa Muñoz

Animal Trainer

Expert Answer

First teach your dog to fetch and drop toys in exchange for treats. Once the fetching is going pretty well, you can start attaching some labels to certain toys using smells like essential oils.

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If my dog has already gotten used to searching with help and finding treats hidden around a room, has the training been messed up?

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Community Answer

This shouldn't have a negative effect on the training. It might also help you and your dog if you put a snack in folded paper and drop it on the floor. The dog would have to flip the paper over and eat it so it might help the nosework.

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Do I use an odor my dog likes or dislikes? We use essential oils in our home, and there are some she's not a fan of.

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You should use the odor of the thing you want her to find. If you wanted her to find, let's say her collar, you would want the collar to smell of something attractive, then train her that that is the collar scent.

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What happens if the dog runs away?

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It is recommended that when you train your dog for nose work, you keep your dog on a long line (40 ft. or less). GPS trackers also can work to know the location of your dog, but they are not infallible. Your dog can still run away if he or she is not on a leash.

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If I want my dog to sniff more than one odor (say weed and cocaine), do I add them both together?

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No, don't add them both together. If you put both scents together, the dog will search for the blend instead of pure scents. In order for your dog to find scents, you will need to train your dog on one scent at a time.

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How much does a clicker cost?

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You can get them for pretty cheap, just a dollar or two on Amazon.

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I am going for the Odor Recognition Test, but now my dog is starting to put his paw on the box. How do I teach him not to do that? I don't want him to destroy the box at the test and disqualify us.

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Save the reward/praise until he has removed his paw. He should paw it, wait, get frustrated and remove his paw. Rewarding him then will teach him that he needs not to paw it.

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